'Under the circumstances, it was one of my best shots ever'

Twenty five years ago, Bernhard Langer claimed his second Masters title. The German reminisces with Steve Carroll

What do we love most about the Masters?

Is it the sight of those azaleas, the perfect blue water in Rae’s Creek or that year after year nothing ever seems to change?

You know that Augusta in April means that some things will always be the same – one certainty being that Bernhard Langer will bring his ‘A’ game.

This will be the German’s 35th journey down Magnolia Lane and, at 60, his love of competing for the green jacket seems undiminished.

Featuring in the second to last group only a couple of years ago, he has 12 top 20s at the Masters and victories in 1985 and 1983.

With a quarter of a century now having passed since Fred Couples helped him don golf’s most famous article of clothing for the second time, Langer sat down with NCG to talk about that win and why he adores Augusta National…

What is it about Augusta National that really seems to suit you?

I just loved the place when I first saw it but that doesn’t necessarily means it suits me.

What I did like, originally, was that the fairways were fairly wide so there wasn’t a premium on driving the ball like at the US Open.

There was more of a premium on second shots and around the greens. That suited me because at that time, in the 80s, I wasn’t the straightest driver in the game. So I liked that.

Plus I liked the options around the greens of using all sorts of clubs to chip with. You can use a 7-iron or a 5-iron or a lob wedge.

You can use all sorts of clubs around the greens. In the US Open, for instance, they usually have rough around the green and you just take a sand wedge or lob wedge and flop it out of there.

They don’t give you any options.

Interview continues over the page, where Langer explains how he still performs at Augusta…